I run RPM-based Linux distributions on all of my servers. And a few years ago I realised that mixing CPAN modules that were installed using RPM with CPAN modules that are installed using the standard CPAN tools was a recipe for disaster. So I decided that from then on I'd only use RPMs on my servers. And because only a tiny proportion of CPAN modules are available as RPMs, that meant I had to learn how to create RPMs from CPAN modules. This is what I learnt.